In a move that underscores the growing ambition and appeal of the Saudi Pro League (SPL), Olympique Lyonnais legend and former Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has joined newly-promoted side Neom SC on a free transfer.
The 34-year-old former France international departed Lyon as their second-highest ever goalscorer with an impressive 201 goals across two spells, cementing his status as a club icon. He now joins the ambitious Neom project, where he will team up with former Lyon colleague Said Benrahma. Neom SC represents the sporting ambition of the wider Neom project, a futuristic mega-city being built in the country’s northwest as a cornerstone of the Saudi Vision 2030 plan. Overseen by the Neom Sports division, the football club’s rapid ascent to the top flight is part of a broader strategy to establish the region as a global destination for elite sport and entertainment.
Lacazette’s decorated European career makes his move to a newly promoted side a significant statement. He first rose to prominence with Lyon, where he was named Ligue 1 Player of the Year and won the league’s Golden Boot in the 2014-15 season with 27 goals. His success led to a high-profile transfer to Arsenal in 2017. During his five years in the Premier League, Lacazette scored 71 goals for the Gunners, winning the FA Cup in 2020 and being voted the club’s Player of the Season in the 2018-19 campaign.
His decision to join Neom is indicative of the SPL’s evolving strategy and growing influence, which has been demonstrated across the league this summer. This week alone, global icon Cristiano Ronaldo put an end to transfer speculation by signing a new two-year contract extension with Al-Nassr, committing to the league until past his 42nd birthday.
Meanwhile, last season’s runners-up, Al-Hilal, made headlines by appointing former Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi just days after he coached in the UEFA Champions League final. The Riyadh giants then produced one of the shocks of the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup, stunning English champions Manchester City in a 4-3 extra-time thriller to knock them out of the tournament.
It is within this rapidly ascending and ambitious football landscape that Lacazette now arrives. The club announced the transfer on social media, heralding the arrival of the “sharpshooter.” The signing is a clear indication of Neom’s intent to be competitive in their first season in the top flight, having also recently acquired Ivorian midfielder Amadou Kone from French club Reims. For Lacazette, it represents a new challenge and a chance to be a foundational piece of one of the world’s most talked-about sporting projects.
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